According to widespread media reports, MySpace is in advanced talks sign 50 Cent to a $300 million multiyear, 360 deal that would give Rupert Murdoch's company control over Curtis James Jackson III's tours, books and film projects as well as future albums.

However, rumors of the deal have been denied by 50 himself as well as his management and a G-Unit "associate" that spoke with Vibe magazine, but it's not clear whether the reports may be wrong, inaccurate or just awkward while negotiations are still taking place.

50 Cent would be the first A-list artist that MySpace has enticed aboard its fledgling MySpace Records, and the deal, if completed, will dwarf those made by Live Nation with Madonna for a reported $120 million and Jay-Z for $150 million. 50 Cent is currently signed to Interscope Records, which has been with the rapper since the early days of his career, but his deal, which includes his own Interscope-backed label, G-Unit records, is due to expire soon.

Forbes hasn't issued its 2008 Celebrity 100 list yet, but in last year's ranking, 50 Cent received an estimated $33 million through his various ventures. With the sale of his stake in VitaminWater for an estimated $100 million, his ranking this year should put him at the top near Oprah Winfrey, who was first last year with an estimated income of $260 million.

Increasingly, labels are left holding only the back catalogs as their superstars flee for other ventures, but that's not where the real money appears to be these days. While CD sales continue to decline, artist income is increasingly coming from broader enterprises. To quote leading-edge artist manager Terry McBride (who's in charge of the Barenaked Ladies and Avril Lavigne) at the Musexpo keynote: "We are now in the business of building entertainment brands, the music is simply the glue that holds it together"

At a time when major labels are reporting poor earnings and shedding staff, it looks like they are really going to have to invest in talent in order to compete with the deep-pocketed new entrants to the markets.

About Me

Mike Tunnicliffe is a former Advertising Agency CEO with extensive global branding and marketing experience.
He has worked with major consumer brands and Fortune 500 companies in almost every major global market and is a sought after media commentator and conference speaker. He regularly writes for leading publications including Advertising Age and has a blog ‘Bands & Brands’ that gives incisive views on the latest developments in brand partnerships and new business models in the music, entertainment and brand communications businesses. Mike brings this insight to the real world, through his New York based management company Tuna Music and Los Angeles based branded entertainment company The Sheppard.
Mike has latterly become an equity partner in start up Los Angeles based entertainment & talent agency Filament, which is setting out to become a leading global aggregator of intellectual properties and their rights for artists, entertainers and athletes and will exploit these rights through brand partnerships, smarter marketing and the application of technology, while building a valuable library and continuous revenue streams.